Sungei Boluh Wetland Reserve

this is a super backdated entry, from 6 months ago. it was one of those weekends in jan (5 jan to be exact) and jerome was still in my tummy. i was desperately trying to clock in some outdoor outings and spend some time with jerry before his brother pops out and share the attention.

i super love nature and have been wanting to go sungei boluh wetland reserve for a long while, and i finally made it there that weekend.

jerry dragging his cousin Levon along.

making our way in! I like that they add little tidbits and facts about the animals that we are likely to see on our journey in.

just for your info. entry into the wetland reserve is FOC on weekdays, but on weekends, PHs & school holidays, adults pay a meagre $1 for entry and $0.50 for kids. i thought that was really affordable. the place is hugeeeeeeeee, we didnt even manage to comb 1/5 of it with 2 toddlers that don’t quite listen to instructions and a obviously very pregnant me (at that time!).

the place brought back a lot of memories for me. those of my growing-up-in-the-kampong days.

a bridge across the mangroves.

huge spider that we spotted and excitedly show jerry (his favourite!)

levon inspecting the ground and the stones. and the various insects that were moving in between.

can you see what we spotted? it’s a huge monitor lizard or are they relatives of the komodo dragons? i don’t really know, but there were so many of them, in really close distance and they were so big arsed that even i was a little afraid to go near. what if they decided to bite?!

you can’t really see anything in this pic except some branches sticking out of the water, but it has some “clams” that i used to eat very often as a kid! unfortunately, no one sells them now and i can’t possibly pluck them out from a nature reserve, can i?

can you see them? I have NO IDEA what they are called, by the way. the shells are greyish black with vertical black lines (a little like a finger print) and on the inside of the shell, there is a spot of bright yellow.

them checking out the fishes in the water, there are really huge ones!

there is a squirrel here. try spotting it. (hint: some where nearer to the top)

a butterfly on the ground. a very lovely sight that i used to take for granted as a kid.

lush green paths all the way. it’s really tranquil to walk through it all.

another huge-ass lizard that ran across us.

here’s a tiny one with lovely prints on its body.

there are just so much wildlife out in the nature reserve and it really takes a skilled eye to spot them all. we were all trying to take our time to slowly walk through the paths and enjoy nature. the boys had fun running, and i totally loved the feeling of being so close to nature (ok, except the heat was a little unbearable). and i really did wish i could spot a python in nature (how cool is that?!).

there were little observation huts with shelters that lets people sit within to just observe. there were many species of birds and storks by the mangroves, and watching them catch the fishes for their lunch in their natural habitat is usually a sight that i only see on nat geo. if i werent pregnant and not with 2 impatient toddlers and the heat wasnt that bad, i could hide in one of those huts and just watch the entire day away.

calms the soul totally.

unfortunately, the kids were with me. the husband was complaining of mosquitoes. and jerry wanted me to carry him because he is tired. and we ended the day right there. I definitely want to head back some day. there are just so much to see and observe.

one last picture of the biggest lizard we saw that day. it was even longer than me!!

just some tips if you want to visit.

1. Try going with people who drives. it’s very far in and no where near any form of public transport. Even calling a cab take a while and there arent many cabs around the area.

2. Fill up your tummies before exploring the area or bring some snacks for the little ones. there is a cafe at the entrance but beyond that, there isnt anything else but nature to receive you.

3. bring mosquito patches and wear insect repellent. you can be quite sure to be attacked.

4. go early in the morning if you can, where the weather is better and the sun is not that hot. i think the animals are also out hunting for their food.

5. if your kids cannot walk, go with carriers rather than strollers. it can be quite hard to navigate some of the terrains.

6. bring loads of water. there are toilets along the way but no water to be bought.

7. the place is huge so be prepared with good walking shoes and to walk a lot!